Rental house memories

 Memories

 I've a special fondness for this species, a balloon flower. When the three of us moved out of our family home in 1993 in the divorce, we were living in a house I'd rented from my student's mother, whose house was up for sale. That didn't work out for us. 

This next rental was a newish bungalow in Manotick in 1994, me a newly single mom. It was built for the family's elderly in-laws/parents. The family lived in a mansion on the river at the back of the property, the bungalow at the front for the in-laws. The big house had an indoor pool, and a TV the size of PEI. They had an indoor pool, speed boats on the river, but a nice Italian Catholic family to take us in.

The father-in-law died, the mother couldn't live there in the bungalow alone. It was put up for rent. They liked that I had a full-time job, and the family wanted the house lived in until they decided to sell it or not. They didn't charge me market rent, thankfully. That first and last month's rent is brutal for renters. 

I had a meltdown at school, after my principal was bullying me at the time. (She was a childess non-cat lady!) We called her 'The Princess.' I took two weeks sick leave off of work. I planted a brand new garden while I healed from trauma. It was a great bungalow and my sanctuary. 

You can see the long driveway leading to the mansion on the Ottawa River.

Problem was, there was a spring going from under the ground by the highway towards the river, behind the house. The sump pump worked constantly in spring. I remember the sump pump breaking down once twice. My landlord came, leaving the Lamborghini in his three-car garage. 😜  The landlord replaced the sump pump with a new cheap one. It failed a couple weeks later, with much rain and meltwater. He bought a more expensive one for the house. My things were floating in 6" of water in the basement. Oh, the memories! 

The trees were planted after we moved, and, I presume, they sold the house.

Back to the present...

The Angel's Trumpet is doing well, aside from the potato beetles. 

Pumpkins to be! 

Calla lily

Wood sunflower:

PART LXXVII: Process of Cancer treatment

 We were off to another cancer treatment. He was up at 6 for a 7:30 departure. sigh. I am not allowed in, with COVID protocols. 

I didn't have to take the time, as I am just the chauffeur, I could wear my jammies and housecoat! It was only 11 C. that morning. The housecoat would be a must. I'd packed phone, book to read, sketch pad, as these appointments could last a long time. We never know. One appointment was delayed a couple of hours, as our doctor was called to emergency surgery.

7:31 a.m.

It was a beautiful morning! It was foggy in spots.

The trees are beginning to turn.

We arrived in good time. I let JB off at the main entrance. It was 15 minutes to get through the COVID prescreening, which wasn't a surprise. There was a long line. JB made it into the office by 9:15. It was spooky, as there were so few people there. They are limiting patients.

9:02 a.m.

I drove around a bit. Then did a drawing, and read. I watched the dogs and dog walkers. I took a selfie to send to my daughter! (First professional haircut is today, Friday!)

There was a gym class outdoors, although 

My colouring. I first started this back in March, the last time I was with my client. Thursday I filled the colours in.

Here is the hospital! You can see all the cars parked on the street. Lynn Lane allows people to park here for free for two hours. I went into the park parking, as I wanted to get out of the car.

Dogs are supposed to be on a leash. This dude pulled up with two dogs. They nearly got run over by the red tractor whi, by now had moved into this part of the park! 

10:05 a.m.

JB phoned. He borrowed a nurse's phone at the waiting area, as his flip phone died. He was not amused. Off home. I still hadn't had anything to eat, as I have issues when we are on a hospital visit. 

We drove through Manotick. Such monster homes. The first one isn't finished. The one beside it is huge, as well. 

The sumac are lovely.

Home by 11:00, I was happy to grab a bagel and cream cheese. Happy to be home!

Trip to Manotick, Around the World

The thing about depression is that you sometimes have to bite the bullet, and get out of the house. Hubby knows that, and suggested a trip into town for a display. I came up with another idea.
First we passed the local theatre. I'd love to see Crazy Rich Asians. I grew up in Toronto, we had a wide, wonderful multicultural, diverse community.

Manotick, our destination.


I rented there for a time – right after my separation and divorce. It was a stressful time. I'd been married from 1976 - 1993. I'd never lived on my own, let alone with kids. I was painfully shy, as well, my then-husband didn't encourage me to have opinions, or to be independent. I was expected to be home at 4:30 to make dinner. (He was the better cook, too!)

I taught in Manotick P.S. then, and it was both exhilarating and frightening. Each time a trigger set me a little lower: divorce, litigation, school issues.
Manotick has changed since I lived there in 1993. There were some local fundamentalists who complained to my principal when I was leading my gifted kids withdrawal group in meditation. Then, we did some Language Arts work around a book; did skits, art work, wrote stories.
We had a meeting my principal demanded I attend, with a group of 9 or so locals who confronted me. They complained I was using a book in my classroom that had a made-up name. The book author and I eventually published a teacher's guide to his book (Children of the Root) with puzzles, learning activities, lesson plans. They didn't like this, either. None of these adults had kids in our school.


I worked in Manordale P.S., later when a principal was bullying me. I was shop steward and she didn't like this. I spent three weeks gardening to escape the stress, also depressed. I know to spot it when it begins, and prevent myself from getting any lower. It isn't easy. Hubby has been amazing. I know I cannot get off my meds. They keep me even-keeled.

I still have horrid dreams about not finding my school, being unable to keep control of my class, getting berated by my principal. It is discouraging.

Anyway, this is affecting my physical body right now, I had another trigger last month. I think I'm digging my way up and out. I'm doing all the right things: exercising, keeping busy, getting outdoors in nature.


Our destination: Manotick market. Two amazing Ottawa artists: @twitandrewking and @AliCatArt.
I follow them on Twitter. I first noticed Andrew, he's been published in the Ottawa Citizen:
Artist & cartoonist. Exploring overlooked history with adventures at http://OttawaRewind.com  Follow @timewinders for local history yarns.



But, back to our trip. These are all retirement condos.


On the highway, people are on the move! It's the height of summer here.


We had lunch at the Swan.


Home again... to watch my caterpillars. You know how cats (and dogs) sniff one another's bums??!! :-)

Around The World

They took the bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka. Now, they are in a hostel, with mats on the floor. 

Manotick Remembrance Park & Cenotaph

On the way home from Bone Scan #4, we stopped in Manotick, to check out their new park.  It was just opened July 2, 2017. I'd spotted it on the way past, going into Ottawa. I could see the beautiful statue, and decided we should stop in on our way home. I used to live just outside Manotick, I taught there, as well, in Manotick P.S. (We did a big heritage day one year, and invited the press, hence the photo!)

Manotick P.S. 1993

Anyway, enough fond memories, back to the park. The land was donated, The Clapp Family barns, and used to hold a farm. It is just beside the iconic Manotick Mill, now a museum. As ever, there are lots of ducks hanging about around the mill.

The Manotick Legion explains the project, with contributions from the community association, and found funding from several sources. They have a podcast, to explain the different areas of the park.

• 6 custom gardens designed by local Horticulturalist and a Director of the Manotick Horticultural Society, Anne Clark-Stewart, that will honour branches of the Canadian military and those who support them:

Artist Nathan Scott

Check out this video of Sculpture Artist Nathan Scott creating the bronze sculpture for the Remembrance Park in Manotick.

Nathan Scott is located on Vancouver Island in beautiful Victoria, British
Columbia, Canada.